Dune is available in theatres and HBO Max.
The first teaser trailer for Dune, an adaptation of Frank Herbert's sprawling sci-fi epic, was released on September 9, 2020, and ever since the hype around this film has been massive. Blockbuster super celebrities like Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, and Oscar Isaacs greatly contributed to this being one of the most anticipated films of 2021. Directed by acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Denis Villenueve, known for directing science fiction films such as Blade Runner, this movie is brimming with awe-inspiring music composed by the legendary Hans Zimmer and jaw-dropping visuals. The movie’s budget was a whopping $165 million dollars.
Dune’s plot is dense, complicated by intricate “space politics” and extensive dialogue. The story takes place 22,000 years in the future on a planet called Arrakis. In this highly advanced future, humankind has expanded to encompass many planets. The people are ruled by a single emperor, the Padishah emperor. Within his empire, there are numerous houses that have limited autonomy. Two of those houses, House Atreides and House Harkonnen are the main focuses of the movie. Another group, called the Bene Gesserit, also plays a big role in the plot. The Bene Gesserit are a selective group of women who have superpowers.
Dune follows the story of Paul Leto, the ambitious son of Duke Leto who is the leader of House Atreides. Duke Leto’s concubine is Lady Jessica, a member of the Bene Gesserit who was tasked with bearing a daughter to be Kwisatz Haderach, a superbeing. Instead Lady Jessica bore Paul. The film opens with the Padishah emperor replacing House Harkonnen with House Atreides as rulers of the planet Arrakis. Arrakis is a desert planet rich in a resource called “spice” that is incredibly valuable because it fuels space travel. The main plot of the movie is the conflict between the Harkonnens and Atreides over control of the spice desert.
The film’s atmosphere is characterized by dark lighting, expansive landscapes, and painstakingly detailed set designs. Villeneuve throws you into an endless ocean of sand home to monstrous sandworms and jaw-dropping desert castles. Despite the grandiose scale of the film, most of the movie is centered on intricate dialogue between Paul Leto and other characters, consisting of topics such as politics and duty. While the dialogue is fairly well written, it feels impersonal, and there is little exposition into the minds of the characters. Standout acting performances from Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson contribute to making the dialogue feel real, despite it’s density.
The main idea of the film feels decentralized, with the plot varying in its thematic focus throughout the movie, never really fully focusing on a clear idea. There are some interesting bits about the strain placed on Paul as a result of being conflicted between his duties to his father and the obligations he has to the Bene Gesserit.
One big pro of the movie was that the characterization of the mysterious Bene Gesserit as this mysterious super cult is compelling. Jason Mamoa’s character, Duncan Idaho, also steals the show. He is very charming and amusing to watch. Giving him more screen time would have made the movie more entertaining.
The cinematography and setting did not disappoint in the slightest, and there are moments that are just stunning. One thing that is frustrating is Zendaya’s lack of a real role in the movie. One of the biggest contributors to the hype around Dune is the inclusion of fan favorite celebrity Zendaya. In the movie, she doesn’t say hardly anything at all, and the screen time she gets involves her standing around looking mysterious. Another flaw of the movie is that it feels like a giant build-up, except here’s the catch. The climax never really happens. You do have to take into account that there is supposed to be a sequel, but as a stand-alone film, it is somewhat unsatisfying.
Some brief internet research suggests that Dune is actually a very faithful adaptation of the book. The problem is that Dune is infamously long and boring, so the film follows suit. Fans of the book will probably really enjoy this movie. But for new watchers, amazing visuals cannot really make up for a lack of excitement and plot progression.
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